The New Steam Team
by AaronCottrell97
Summary: Nia has been making herself at home in Tidmouth Sheds, but Gordon isn't content with the new changes, even more so when Henry reveals that he is leaving Tidmouth Sheds. Angered and saddened by this, Gordon goes on tantrum, until Nia convinces him that the changes might not be so bad, especially when another new engine arrives and takes Henry's berth.
1. Forever and Ever

Nia the tank engine from Kenya was really enjoying her life on Sodor with the other engines. After she had gotten to know the Steam Team, she could now try to make more friends across the island. Living on Sodor was already turning out to be a big uplift ever since she left Kenya.

But there was one engine in particular, who was not very keen with Nia moving into Tidmouth Sheds, and that was Gordon. He was not very happy about having Nia living at Tidmouth Sheds after Edward had left for the last time. When Molly moved in after Edward left the first time, Gordon was more welcoming since she was already an engine of Sodor, and Edward even returned briefly during Thomas' adventures in an attempt to wait for his return, but now that he had moved out permanently, Gordon did not like that Nia had replaced him at the sheds now. Although he and Edward didn't always get along perfectly, Gordon did have a side of respect for Edward for everything they had done together over the years, right down to when he had helped Gordon over the hill after he got stuck with his trucks. Now with the empty berth being taken up by Nia, Gordon realized just how much Edward meant to him, and it made him begin to wish he could come back.

One evening, as Gordon was passing through Wellsworth on his way home, he saw Edward, and decided to invite him back to Tidmouth Sheds.

"Evening, Edward," he said. "Say, wouldn't you like to join us at Tidmouth Sheds again? You're most welcome to."

"Thank you, Gordon," said Edward. "But I think we all know I chose to move here with Philip, and be closer to my Branch Line."

"What? But, you're one of the Steam Team!" said Gordon.

"I still am, in my way," said Edward. "We've been seeing each other all the time, and I still work on Sodor after all. I'm still part of the North Western Railway after all. Go on now, Gordon."

Gordon was puzzled and disappointed.

Later that night, while Henry was out pulling the Flying Kipper, and Percy was busy with the mail run, at Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas noticed that Gordon was still awake and looking miserable.

"Gordon? Are you alright?" asked Thomas.

"I don't think so, Thomas," he said.

"Why not, Gordon?"

"Well…you see, Thomas…no one else seems to talk about it…but I miss Edward," said Gordon. "I wish he could come back…"

"Why, Gordon?" asked Thomas. "After all, it was his choice to leave with Philip for Wellsworth."

"Yes, maybe so," said Gordon. "But he's one of us. He's No. 2 among the rest of us. We all have a number here, except Emily, but that never mattered. She's the loveliest engine the island will ever see."

"Nia's numbered too, you know," said Thomas. "She's No. 18, and the Fat Controller has welcomed her to stay."

Gordon was not convinced. "It isn't right for Edward to be left out with the rest of us! And even when I asked him, he chose not to come back! You're not supposed to cast away an engine who's part of the team!" And he reversed right inside his berth, leaving Thomas puzzled.

Henry, meanwhile had made good progress with the Flying Kipper. But during his journey, he had also been thinking about something. Ever since Edward left for Wellsworth, Henry missed him a little too, but over the past while, he recalled seeing Edward looking very happy being closer to his Branch Line and still managing to see all his friends. While he was happy to welcome Nia to Tidmouth Sheds, he began to think that after so many years spent at those sheds, maybe he could take a little change himself, and he decided to ask the Fat Controller about it as soon as he would get the chance.

When he finished his run with the Flying Kipper, Henry returned to the yards just in time to see Percy leave his empty mail wagons in a siding.

"Hello, Henry," said Percy. "How are you tonight?"

Henry looked at Percy and wondered how he could explain his idea.

"Evening, Percy. I've been thinking a lot about Edward leaving the sheds…and…" Henry whispered his idea to Percy, who suddenly seemed a little disappointed and downhearted, but then smiled.

"It's my own choice," said Henry. "And I'd like to see if the Fat Controller would like the idea."

"Alright, Henry. Go on and ask him," said Percy as he left the yards to return to the sheds. Henry looked to the platform and saw the Fat Controller. Henry saw his chance and approached him.

"Evening, sir."

"Oh. Hello, Henry," said the Fat Controller. "I see you've done well with the Flying Kipper."

"Thank you, sir," said Henry before becoming silent for a few moments.

"What is it, Henry?" asked he Fat Controller. "Did you want to ask me something?"

"Yes, actually. I've been thinking sir," said Henry. "Ever since Edward left Tidmouth Sheds, we've all missed him. But I've noticed that he's very happy being closer to Wellsworth, and having Philip as a new shed mate. I think he was smart to take a little change in life after being with us for so long…and it made me think…Would you mind if I moved out of Tidmouth Sheds too?"

"What? Why would you want to do that, Henry?" asked the Fat Controller.

"Well, after seeing how happy Edward is being closer to his Branch Line, I thought that I'd be happier moving to Vicarstown Sheds with Rosie, since I mostly take trains to the Mainland, and bring other trains back from there too. Just like Edward is closer to his Branch Line now, and since Vicarstown is right near the border line between Sodor and the Mainland, I thought that would put me much closer to my work too. What do you think?"

The Fat Controller thought this was a splendid idea, and that Henry took fine initiative in mentioning the idea. "Well, Henry, that does sound really useful. If you wish to move to Vicarstown and be closer to your Mainland duties, that's fine by me."

"Oh! Thank you, sir!" said Henry. "Thank you!" And he huffed off to spend one last night with the other engines at Tidmouth Sheds. As he backed into his berth, he took a good look at all the engines. Emily, Percy, Thomas, James, Nia and Gordon. They had been all great friends to him since the start, and even though he was going away now, he knew he'd still see them a lot too, just like Edward, and soon, he fell asleep, excited over moving to a new home.

The next morning, Nia was the first to greet the engines as they all woke up to start their day.

"Good morning, everybody!" said Nia.

"Good morning, Nia," said Thomas.

"Isn't it a beautiful day?" Nia asked.

"Personally, I prefer clouds!" said a rather dissatisfied voice. Nia looked and saw Gordon leaving with a scowl on his face.

"What's the matter with Gordon?" she asked.

"He's still upset about Edward moving out of the sheds, Nia," said Thomas.

"And about me moving in," she said to herself, feeling a little guilty.

Gordon huffed impatiently to Knapford Yards to fill with coal, not feeling very chipper about Nia, and even less so about Edward choosing not to come back. Then he heard Henry whistle behind him, followed by Percy and Philip. Percy had told Philip about Henry's proposal and they were excited to hear the news.

"Did you ask him, Henry? What did he say?" Percy and Philip asked him.

"He said yes. He thinks it's a good idea," said Henry.

"Enough of this chitter-chattering! Aren't one of you little engines supposed to bring me my coaches?" Gordon huffed as he went on his way to Platform 1. Percy and Philip laughed as they knew Gordon could be that way sometimes.

While waiting for his coaches, Gordon continued to fume over Edward not coming back, and about Nia taking up his berth, but in just a moment, he would be in for another shock. When his coaches were fetched, he was surprised to learn who it was.

"Good morning again, Gordon," said Nia.

"You don't USUALLY bring me my coaches!" Gordon sniffed impatiently.

"Gordon, don't be so rude," said the Fat Controller. "Nia is a very welcome addition to our railway. Apologize, right now."

"Sorry, Nia," said Gordon. "But please sir, why can't Edward come back? Edward is supposed to sleep at Tidmouth Sheds."

"Honestly, Gordon," the Fat Controller sighed as Henry came by to share his own news with Gordon. "How many times do I need to go over this? Edward sleeps in the sheds at Wellsworth now. It's right at the start of his Branch Line."

"And Sir Topham Hatt says I can stay at the sheds in Vicarstown from now on," said Henry.

"WHAT?!" Gordon exclaimed, his voice echoing through the yards. The words had hit him hard in his boiler. Now he was most affronted. It was simply too much to accept, and he suddenly went into shock.

"When did this happen?! Nobody told me! Y-you can't move Henry as well, sir! Why don't you just…just go ahead and change everything?!"

Then Gordon lost his sensibility and hastily left his platform. "Shall I push my coaches from now on, instead of pulling them, sir?"

"Gordon!" called the Fat Controller.

Then Gordon rushed through the line and picked up Annie and Clarabel before Thomas could.

"Come on, Annie and Clarabel!" he said, not taking notice of Thomas' protest. "Let me take you on Thomas' Branch Line for a change! The Fat Controller is changing everything!"

"No, Gordon! What are you doing?" Annie and Clarabel called.

In his anger and frustration, Gordon suddenly moved away from Annie and Clarabel, and reversed back to gather some trucks, while Nia rested on Platform 1 with the coaches.

"You can take the express, Nia. I'm going to shunt trucks in the yard! The Fat Controller wants to change EVERYTHING!"

The Fat Controller heard how Gordon referred to him, and was now getting cross. "Gordon! I've had quite enough of this nonsense!"

"What shall I do, sir?" asked Nia. "I'm not supposed to take the express."

"Don't worry about that, Nia," said the Fat Controller. "I'll ask Henry to do it, as Gordon seems like he won't do it anytime soon!"

Gordon took no notice. He gathered as many trucks as he could and shunted them hastily around the yards, hissing angrily all the way. Besides having some good times with Edward, he also recalled many fond memories with Henry. Especially when he accidently took Henry's Special Coal and thought it would help him set a new record, only for him to give up that record and swap tenders with Henry. And of course, there were other times they had shared together, such as when Henry was let out of the tunnel after Gordon burst his safety valve and he and Edward helped Gordon back to the shed. To lose another friend was simply too much for him. After nearly an hour of shunting trucks, Gordon edged angrily to the diesel refueling station where Paxton was refilling his tank.

"Hurry up, Paxton! I'm going to fill up with diesel for a change!" Gordon announced sarcastically.

"Really? I thought steam engines filled up with steam?" asked Paxton.

"First, Edward leaves Tidmouth Sheds, and now Henry's moving out too!"

But in that moment, Gordon realized that with Henry leaving, another berth was empty. "Oh! Maybe now Edward can come back." And Gordon set off to find Edward with a little flicker of hope.

"But Gordon. What about your diesel fuel?" Paxton puzzled.

Gordon raced along the line, all the way to Brendam Docks, where he saw Percy and Edward, eager to welcome the old engine back again.

"Edward! Edward!" he called.

"Gordon?" asked Edward.

"I have some unfortunate news, but also some good news for you, Edward," said Gordon. "The Fat Controller has sent Henry away from Tidmouth Sheds now! He's moving all the way to Vicarstown Sheds! I don't think it's fair for the Fat Controller to be changing everything! I was very shocked to hear about Henry…but that means his berth is now empty! And that means you can come back to Tidmouth Sheds with the rest of us! Your berth is sure to be available now! Well, Edward? What do you think?"

Edward appreciated Gordon's offer and generosity, but his mind had been made up a long time ago.

"Thanks for asking, Gordon…again...but I'm very happy at Wellsworth," he said.

Gordon's heart sank and he felt even worse. Even now, Edward was still comfortable at Wellsworth. But then Philip rushed onto the scene.

"Uh-oh! You'd better hurry back to Knapford and collect your coaches, Gordon! The Fat Controller says you're causing…"

"Confusion and delay!" the Fat Controller's voice joined in.

"Wow, Philip! How did you make your voice do that?" asked Percy.

Then that Fat Controller came by in Winston. "You are usually one of my most sensible engines, Gordon. But today you're being very silly indeed! If you're not going to pull the express, then you can go back to your shed!"

"FINE, sir! I WILL!" Gordon huffed angrily and went on his way.

Later that evening, the Fat Controller was in his office, talking on the phone to a manager on the Mainland. Henry moving to Vicarstown Station had given him an idea, and he was talking about buying another engine to welcome to Sodor and fill in the empty berth.

"Yes, Henry's moved to Vicarstown…There's an empty berth for her if she could come live here. She can? Oh, that is lovely! Thank you. Goodbye!"

When the Fat Controller stepped out of his office, he saw Nia waiting for him. Then Edward came by with some passengers.

"Hello, sir," said Nia. "I've been wondering, what happened with Gordon? He just started acting so unusual all of a sudden."

"Hello, Nia," said the Fat Controller. "Gordon has been very, very silly all day! I've sent him back to his shed."

Nia wondered what this could have meant. "Well…what started it all, sir?"

"Well, Nia, Gordon asked me why Edward couldn't come back to Tidmouth Sheds. Edward moved to Wellsworth to be closer to his Branch Line, and now that Gordon heard about Henry moving to Vicarstown Sheds, he's caused so much trouble! Pushing his coaches, taking Annie and Clarabel from Thomas, leaving you to take the express and shunting trucks in the yard, trying to refill on diesel fuel, and then rushing all the way out to Brendam Docks! It is most unacceptable for any of my engines to be so silly!"

Edward remembered what Gordon had said and decided to speak up. "Sir…when Gordon spoke to me at the docks, he said you sent Henry away from the sheds. Is that true?"

"What?! Of course not, Edward!" said the Fat Controller. "I never sent him away! Just like you chose to move to Wellsworth, Henry came to me and asked if he could move to Vicarstown himself. He said he recalled how happy you are to be closer to your Branch Line, and he thought he could do the same to be closer to his duties of taking trains to and from the Mainland. I thought that was a really useful idea."

"Oh! Well, if he asked you himself, that does make a difference," said Edward. "Gordon even offered me to come back to Tidmouth Sheds after Henry had left, but I told him I'm perfectly happy at Wellsworth."

"Dear, oh dear," said the Fat Controller, shaking his head.

Nia had heard everything and she suddenly got an idea herself. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Gordon.

"Sir? If I may?" she asked.

"Yes, what is it, Nia?" asked the Fat Controller.

"I heard everything just now, sir. And…Gordon may have been very silly today…but maybe he was just overwhelmed by all the change that has suddenly happened for him today?"

"Hmm. Maybe so, Nia," said the Fat Controller. "But that gives him no reason to be as silly as he was!"

"Well…I understand what it must feel like, sir," said Nia. "I'm all the way from Kenya and making a new life here on Sodor, which is a lot of change for me too…please, may I talk with him tonight and help him out?"

"Of course you may, Nia," said the Fat Controller. "I just hope he'll listen to you after being rude to you this morning for fetching his coaches…and I hope he treats the new engine more nicely too."

"New engine, sir?" asked Nia. "Who is it?"

"Wait and see, Nia," the Fat Controller winked. "I just finished talking with a manager from the Mainland about this new engine."

"That sounds very nice, sir," said Nia. "I'll try talking with Gordon tonight and see if I can help him."

"Very good, Nia," the Fat Controller smiled. "You're a very good judge of character, I must say. That's a very fine virtue to expect from all of my engines. If you can help him see things a little better, that would be really useful of you."

That evening, Gordon was sulking in the sheds. He was so angry and overwhelmed by everything he had learned that day, he didn't even bother to turn himself round. He had huffed into his shed facing backwards, like he did when the turntable froze. In his little frenzy of drama, he had decided never to leave the sheds.

"I don't mind if I stay in Tidmouth Sheds forever and ever! Let the Fat Controller change everything if he wants to! He can make the North Western Railway as silly as he likes for all I care!"

And Gordon let off a cloud of smoke in distress over everything so far. Edward had left Tidmouth Sheds, Nia had taken his place, and now Henry was moving away too. And to add to all of that, Gordon had been sent to his shed. It just didn't seem fair at all to him. Then as evening turned into night, Gordon was still alone in the sheds when he finally fell asleep, unhappily. He held a contemptuous frown in his sleep for about an hour, but then he began to mutter uncomfortably in his sleep as he began to have a nightmare…

_Gordon was huffing hastily along the line under a dark sky, down toward the bridge that led to the Search and Rescue Centre. But when he got there, it was only half-done, and a horrific sight met his eyes._

_"Gordon! Gordon! Help me!"_

_"Henry! Edward!" Gordon called. Edward was dangling down from the bridge, pulling Henry down, while Henry's wheels were grading and grinding to stay on the tracks. Gordon began to rush down to help them, when a dark cackle split the air._

_"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! HA-HA-HAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Gordon looked back, and there was Diesel 10, rolling down the line toward him._

_"No! Edward! Henry!" he urged as he came closer and closer. "Please! Take my coupling!" Struggling against Edward's weight, Henry tried to huff forward towards Gordon. Their buffers almost touched, when…_

_"GOTCHA!" shouted Diesel 10's voice. Gordon exclaimed painfully as he was picked up and turned around in the air. He looked and saw Pinchy clamping down and cutting into his boiler, before Diesel 10 hissed with glowing orange eyes, "Trust me…"_

_"Gordo-o-o-on!" Henry called as Edward's weight pulled him down and off the bridge._

_"NOOO!" Gordon whistled with horror as Edward, then Henry fall away into the sea. Then Gordon looked in rage. "Diesel 10!"_

_"Ha-ha-ha-HAH-Ha-ha-ha-ha…!" But as Diesel 10 cackled, someone appeared out of his cab window, laughing too._

_Gordon popped his eyes. "S-Sir Topham Hatt?!" he gasped._

_"The changes only start here!" the Fat Controller proclaimed as Diesel 10 suddenly laughed and let his claw hurl Gordon away, causing him to fall too._

_"NOOOO!" he called as he plummeted down the ravine into the water._

Then Gordon suddenly woke up, panting heavily as he looked around. He could see James, Thomas, Percy and Emily in their berths, but not Nia. Then he heard Henry's whistle outside, and he looked to see him huffing past the sheds. Gordon sighed with relief and fell asleep again. But no sooner had he shut his eyes, than he began to dream again, about something even sillier than he had ever thought before. Something that was so silly, it couldn't possibly make any sense even to a child…

_Gordon was huffing along a line surrounded by green hills, but then when he looked up, he saw a giant dinosaur exhibit over his head, like the ones at Ulfstead castle, only much bigger. He passed through it, and the next thing he knew, the rail sleepers were a constant rainbow pattern all over, and he was way above the clouds, with a lighthouse slide to his right with children waving to him._

_"What?!" he exclaimed. Then he saw James go by with a circus load of animals, followed by Rosie passing by on the other side with some glass trucks full of water, with the Fat Controller swimming in one of them._

_"Hello, Gordon! I hope you're enjoying all the changes I made to the railway!" he laughed as Gordon went down his track._

_"Ah! Who put this here?" he exclaimed. The windmill was pink, and the bridges holding the rails up were deep fuchsia. It was truly ridiculous to behold. Then as Gordon passed under the bridge, just missing the windmill, he saw Emily passing by a flatbed, some cattle trucks, and her own coaches, floating with balloons!_

_"This…is…RIDICULOUS!" Gordon shouted as he kept riding along the line like a carnival, feeling more and more insanity surrounding him. There was Marion pulling his express coaches down another line, while Gordon went plummeting down another line, right into a pitch-black tunnel!_

_Silence and blackness ensued for a few moments…until a female voice broke it. "Gordon? Gordon? Do you often sleep facing backward?"_

Gordon woke up. He was still in Tidmouth Sheds, and he saw a familiar face to his right. "Nia?"

"I personally don't think this is such a good idea," said Nia. "How can you see where you're going when you back out, eh?"

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay here forever and ever," Gordon lamented.

Now Nia could take her chance to sympathize with the big blue engine. "I know change can be hard, Gordon. Almost everything in my life has changed. I'm in a new country on a new railway, trying to make new friends. And all my old friends are much farther away than Edward and Henry are going to be. And you know something else?"

"What?"

"My old friends are still my friends!"

Then Nia left her berth to turn the right way around. Gordon had listened to Nia and began to think more clearly about what she had just said. To be without Edward and Henry was disappointing indeed, but for Nia to be an entire continent apart from her friends and former home felt like such a burden to carry. He could only imagine how hard she probably found it sometimes to be so far away from her friends, while Edward and Henry had only moved to a different part of the railway. It made him realize how fortunate he was to still have his two friends on the same railway on the same island.

"Oh dear," he said to himself. "I have been a very silly engine indeed. I'll have to make the best of it tomorrow…"

The next morning, Nia woke up and greeted everyone again as they came out of their berths.

"Good morning, everybody!"

"Good morning, Nia," Emily greeted.

"Good morning," said Thomas.

"Rise and shine," peeped Percy.

"Good morning everyone," said James.

"Who is going to pull the express today?" Nia asked. "Henry again? Or maybe someone else would like a turn."

Gordon had been thinking about what Nia had said most of the night, and decided not to be so silly, and take another chance. "I shall pull the express! I'm the express engine!"

But Nia saw that Gordon was coming out a little too suddenly. "Wait! Gordon! Stop!"

"What?" Gordon's tender began to tip down into the turntable well, but Gordon was quick to react and fought to get out before he'd fall down into it, like Oliver once did. As he managed to regain himself, Nia spoke again.

"If you don't wait for the turntable to line up, you will fall off the tracks!" She watched as the turntable lined up. "Okay, you can go now."

Gordon was most relieved. "Thank you, Nia. I'm sorry about being rude to you yesterday, and that you don't get to see your old friends anymore."

"Thank you, Gordon," Nia smiled. Gordon smiled back.

"I'm…happy to be friends, if you are," said Nia.

"So am I," Gordon said grandly as he turned around to start his day, more properly this time.

"And I hope we will both be friends with the other new engine too."

In that moment, Gordon felt shocked and overwhelmed all over again. "Other new engine?! WHAT other new engine?!"

"We don't know yet," said Nia. "But now that Henry's not sleeping at Tidmouth Sheds, someone will have to fill that empty berth you know."

"NOOO!" Gordon whistled as he raced away, trying to escape what he had just heard.

"Oh dear! Whatever happened to 'Express coming through'?" Thomas asked as he and Nia laughed together.

Meanwhile, Gordon had frantically fetched his own coaches, still feeling his heart racing with shock at what Nia had just said.

"No one told me this EITHER!" he wheeshed. "Edward to Wellsworth, Henry to Vicarstown, and now ANOTHER new engine?! Just how much change is this railway going to go through?!"

But then when he saw the Fat Controller come out of his office, Gordon decided to make a better impression, remembering what Nia had said the night before.

"Pull yourself together, Big G," he said to himself. "Good morning, sir," he said.

"Good morning, Gordon," said the Fat Controller. "I see you've come back for the express. Now, I expect you to behave much more responsibly today!"

"Yes, sir," said Gordon. "But before I get going…well, just this morning, Nia said there's another new engine coming along soon to fill Henry's empty berth…"

"Yes, Gordon. There is," said the Fat Controller.

"And…when will this new engine come, sir?" asked Gordon.

"I expect she'll be here tomorrow," said the Fat Controller.

Gordon suddenly looked intently at the Fat Controller at what he had heard. "Sh-she? Another lady?"

"Yes, Gordon. You wait and see. She'll be a very fine addition to the railway beside Nia. And I want you to treat her very nicely!"

"Yes sir. Sorry, sir," said Gordon as he set off with the express, still feeling unsettled and a little shocked about another new engine coming to Sodor.

After a little spell of nonsense about two of his friends leaving Tidmouth Sheds, Gordon managed to feel a little better with Nia's help, and now he had something else to discover with a new engine coming to the railway soon…but little did he know that this engine's arrival would only be the beginning of an unexpected, new and wonderful addition to the Island of Sodor someday. And as it would turn out, this new engine would be coming much sooner than the Fat Controller expected.

* * *

Yes, we're finally here, Series 22! I will always love "Forever and Ever" and no one will ever convince me otherwise. What I love the most about it is Gordon's over the top reaction to everything, we see that underneath his pride and despite all the teasing and disrespect he has given them in the past, Gordon truly cares about Edward and Henry from the bottom of his heart, everything he did in this episode was driven purely by sadness and anger, while still being hilarious at the same time. We've truly never seen Gordon express this much raw emotion before and it was fantastic to see this side of one of the most reserved and sensible characters. And to anyone who thinks that Gordon was out of character in this episode; Gordon has ALWAYS been this way in regards to change, he led a bloody strike about having to collect his own coaches after Thomas got his branch line, so this is nothing new!

Anyway, in case you didn't know, Henry's official reason for being relocated comes from the "Still the Best of Friends" video, and that's the same explanation that we gave here. Again, I myself have never really cared about Henry, so him leaving has no impact on me at all, and frankly I much prefer the new Steam Team. Also, Gordon's first nightmare is a reference to Simba's nightmare in "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" when he tries to save Mufasa. Anyway, Rebecca is finally coming in the next chapter, so look forward to that, and tell us what you thought of this chapter. See you later with "Confusion Without Delay."


	2. Confusion Without Delay

It was a bright, exciting day on Sodor. That very morning, after coming out of the sheds for being very silly, Gordon had learned from Nia that there was another new engine on the way to join them at Tidmouth Sheds, and he had also learned from the Fat Controller that it was a lady, and that she'd be coming by the next day. He was both shocked and curious about such news. But what he still didn't know was exactly how this engine would be introduced to him, and what she would have to offer whenever she arrived.

All day long, the engines worked away being really useful, and the engines who knew about the new engine were particularly excited.

Then that evening, Thomas, Emily and Nia all arrived at the yards at the same time after their work had been done. Percy had come by too to make sure his mail wagons would be ready for the mail run that night.

"Hello, Thomas," said Emily. "Nice to be done today. And I hope you enjoyed your day, Nia."

"Hello, Emily," said Thomas. "Lovely to see you here, with Percy and Nia."

"Evening, everyone," said Nia. "Emily, Percy, I'm glad you're both here. I've heard there's a new engine coming along very soon," said Nia. "The Fat Controller told me yesterday evening."

"Wow!" Emily whistled. "Another new one?"

"Yes, Emily," said Nia. "I hear it's another lady, and we can expect her to arrive tomorrow."

"Really?" said Percy. "I wonder what she'll be like! And that means we'll be pretty much equal shares at Tidmouth Sheds. Me, Thomas, James and Gordon as the gentlemen, and Emily, Nia and this new engine will be the ladies!"

"It sounds interesting, to say the least," said Thomas.

"I think it will be fun," said Emily as she smiled at Thomas. Then suddenly, the engines all looked down the line and saw the Fat Controller driving toward them in Winston, still bumping and bouncing along as usual.

"Good evening, everyone!" the Fat Controller called. But Winston kept rolling forward, toward Thomas until he finally managed to stop. "I've got something important I wanted to tell you."

Suddenly, all the engines saw something else coming up behind the Fat Controller.

"Uh, sir! Excuse me sir!" Thomas tried to speak.

"Now, Thomas. Don't interrupt!" the Fat Controller ordered.

"But sir, there's-!"

"As…as I was saying, I have an important announcement for all of you!" But the engines weren't looking at the Fat Controller. They were looking at what kept coming closer. They could see it was a steam engine. A big yellow one, coming closer and closer to the Fat Controller. And the look on the engine's face proved it was a female. Perhaps this was the new engine.

"Ohh! I'm slowing down!" said the engine as she frantically applied her brakes. But she continued to slide along the line, and bumped right into Winston, knocking the Fat Controller off his feet and taking him by surprise.

"Hello, sir. And sorry sir," the new engine said shamefully. "I miscalculated how long it would to take me to stop…by quite a lot."

"I'll say! You nearly bumped me off the rails!" said the Fat Controller. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow…but seeing as you're here now, it seems introductions are in good order. Nia, Percy, Thomas, Emily, this is Rebecca."

Thomas, Emily and Percy remembered when Molly came to Tidmouth Sheds after Edward left, and decided to greet Rebecca the same way.

"Hello!" said Thomas.

"Welcome!" Emily greeted.

"Hi, Rebecca!" Percy chirped.

"Hello, my friend," said Nia.

"Hi, everyone," Rebecca bubbled happily.

As the Fat Controller explained a little more, Gordon came through the station. "Rebecca's going to be staying with you at Tidmouth Sheds, and helping Gordon during busy times."

Gordon saw Rebecca and began to protest. "What? I don't need any-!"

"She'll help ensure there's no confusion or delay," said the Fat Controller.

"Oh, the Indignity!" Gordon huffed as he went on his way, not bothering to take a look at Rebecca. He did not like the idea of being helped with his express, and he didn't believe that an engine like Rebecca could do such a job to begin with.

Rebecca watched him go by and wondered about him for a moment, until Percy spoke up. "Come on, Rebecca, I'll show you the way to Tidmouth Sheds."

There had been a lot of changes on the railway. Edward had moved to Wellsworth with Philip, which was closer to his Branch Line, and Henry had moved to Vicarstown with Rosie. So even though Nia had joined them at Tidmouth Sheds, there was room for Rebecca there too.

"Welcome to Tidmouth Sheds, Rebecca," said Thomas. "This is where we all sleep together."

"Oh, goodness!" Rebecca bubbled cheerfully. "This is so lovely, to be with so many new friends! I'm so excited to start life here on Sodor with all of you! And you, Thomas. We all know so much about you, of course!"

"I know, Rebecca," said Thomas. "You'll get to know all my friends here too."

Just then, after Percy set off with his mail run, Gordon came back to the shed, and saw Rebecca again as he settled on the turntable. As he turned round to his berth, he took a look at her. She was a fine yellow colour like Molly, but had quite a big body, even for a steam engine. Her face had lovely curves and a bright smile.

Rebecca looked and saw Gordon, then decided to try making friends. "Hello, big engine," she said sweetly.

"Hello," Gordon replied blankly.

"I look forward to working with you, big engine," said Rebecca.

Gordon backed into his berth, still not very interested. "My name is Gordon, if you must know. Do come in."

Rebecca made her way into Henry's berth, still smiling pleasantly.

"So, you're the new engine we've all heard about," said Gordon.

"I am, Gordon," said Rebecca. "My manager from the Mainland told me that the Fat Controller intended to bring me here to work with all of you."

"So it would seem," said Gordon. "Time will tell. But no one told me about you coming here until Nia mentioned it. We'll see what you're really like."

Rebecca glanced to all the other engines. Most of them bade each other goodnight, and to Rebecca too. All except Gordon, who looked at her unsurely. She still gave him a pleasant smile and fell asleep with the other engines. She really looked forward to her first day on Sodor. But little did she know exactly what the day would bring her, what she would learn, and what she would come to do for one of the engines…

The next morning, all the engines woke up. Thomas looked left and right, looking at all the engines. To see Rebecca in the sheds now made him feel like she was going to be a delightful addition to the Steam Team. Rebecca woke up too, feeling even more excited for her first day of work on Sodor.

As Emily came out of her berth, she stopped to greet the new engine. "Good morning, Rebecca."

"Hello, Emily. Wow. Everyone's up and ready to go so early!" said Rebecca.

"That's because we're really useful. Especially me. I'm a really useful engine," said Thomas.

Gordon was eyeing Rebecca a little until James began to brag and approach the turntable. "So am I. "I'm-"

"Coming through!" called Gordon, cutting his way onto the turntable before James could.

Nia began explaining a little to Rebecca about the engines. "Gordon is off to pull the express. He's really strong. The fastest engine on Sodor."

James tried the turntable again and kept bragging. "And I'm the fastest red engine-Hey!"

"Excuse me, James," Emily grinned as she took her turn.

"Did you know Emily competed in the Best Decorated Engine Parade at the Great Railway Show?" Nia asked Rebecca.

"So did I!" added James. Before he could try the turntable again, Percy came back with a sleepy smile.

"Ohh, come one!" huffed James.

"And Percy's just coming back from pulling the mail train," said Nia.

Rebecca had listened to what Nia had said, and was already very impressed. She knew mostly about Thomas over the years, but after hearing such interesting things about the others, she felt even more excited.

"Wow!" she gasped. "These are the best engines ever!"

And Rebecca suddenly felt an image in her smokebox flourish to life. She imagined James, Gordon and Emily huffing along the line together with different-coloured smoke each, then Percy and Nia piled on top, and finally, Thomas, all forming a tall triangle together as they flew through the air. But as they flew off through the sky, Rebecca was still running steadily along the line, gaping excitedly at them.

"I'd better work extra hard if I want to fit in here!" Rebecca said to herself. And she set off at once to start her first day of work on Sodor.

At Knapford Station, Rebecca was coupled to her own line of express coaches and set off to settle on Platform 1 until her passengers arrived. She flashed a friendly smile to everyone as they got onboard. But then Rebecca saw Gordon come up beside her.

"Good morning, Gordon," she chimed. "You're off to pull the express, I see."

"Rebecca?" said Gordon. "What are you doing on Platform 1? That's where I depart from."

"I'm simply doing what the Fat Controller has asked of me, Gordon," said Rebecca. "He said I'm to help you during busy times, and to make sure there's no confusion or delay."

"I don't think I'm the one who needs help," Gordon sniffed. Then his whistle blew and he set off down the line, then disappeared.

"Express coming through!" he called around the bend.

Rebecca had watched him go down the line. Then Emily came by to collect a goods train from the yards.

"Hello, Rebecca," she smiled. "Helping Gordon with the express already?"

"Yes, Emily…and wow! He is a fast engine," Rebecca gasped. "And a little stubborn too…I'd better show him I can be fast too, if I'm to help him! I don't want him to see me as an unhelpful engine!"

"He can be overly proud, Rebecca," said Emily. "But I'm sure he won't disown you in any way."

As soon as the guards whistle blew, Rebecca set off too with her own express. Unlike when Emily tried to take the express to be as good as Gordon, Rebecca did not find the coaches to be very heavy.

"Rebecca coming through!" she sang cheerfully. She glided along the line quickly and smoothly. She was very fast indeed. So fast, in fact, she soon caught up with Gordon.

"Hello, Gordon! Rebecca coming through!" she whistled.

"Hmph!" Gordon grunted, looking away from Rebecca. He did not like being helped with the express at all. He felt that being so new to Sodor, Rebecca was bound to make mistakes and cause confusion and delay, which was what the Fat Controller had told her to prevent. He was so busy thinking to himself, he didn't notice Rebecca overtake him, going even faster across the island.

Rebecca was so fast, she got to Vicarstown early…and that meant she was in the way. At the station, she was feeling good about herself. To arrive early made her feel that she had less to worry about…but then she heard a whistle, and could see a big green engine with two tenders backing down her line. It was of course Flying Scotsman. Rebecca knew a little about him during her time on the Mainland, but she had never met him face to face before.

"Who's that on my platform? Excuse me!" called Flying Scotsman.

"Whoopsies, I'll be out of your way in just a minute," Rebecca said cheerfully.

"What are you doing on my platform? And where are my passengers?" asked Flying Scotsman.

"Oh no. I think I picked up your passengers by mistake," said Rebecca as the passengers began coming out of her coaches again and moved toward Flying Scotsman's coaches.

The Flying Scotsman was puzzled. "What? Who is that?"

Then Gordon arrived. "Rebecca? How did YOU get here so early?"

"Oh, I thought YOU were the one behind me, little brother!" Flying Scotsman teased.

"Why can't you call me Gordon?" Gordon complained as he remembered the Great Railway Show.

"Because I'm your big brother, which makes you my little brother…little brother!" Flying Scotsman grinned.

Rebecca listened to both engines and wondered what was going on.

"You think you're so cool, don't you?!" Gordon huffed angrily. Flying Scotsman just laughed and went on his way, while Gordon let off his passengers, still frowning. Rebecca wondered if she could help Gordon at all.

"Excuse me, Gordon…is Flying Scotsman really your big brother?" she asked carefully.

"No, Rebecca!" Gordon huffed. "We're exactly the same size! He's been teasing me about that ever since he met me again a few years ago and bragged about the Great Railway Show!"

"Do you mean the one where Emily and James competed in the Best Decorated Engine Parade?" asked Rebecca. "Nia told me about that."

"Yes. I was briefly streamlined to be part of the Great Race!" huffed Gordon. "Even then, he kept calling me that! It was only when my boiler blew up and I lost that race when he actually called me by my name! But you wouldn't understand! You never had a brother!"

Then Gordon set off again. Rebecca felt disappointed that Gordon didn't feel better. It made her want to prove herself even more to him, and to anyone else that she could be really useful. She waited until her passengers had boarded, and she was ready to set off again.

"Whoopsie. Off we go again. I don't want to be late on my first day."

As Rebecca huffed along the line, she thought more and more about Gordon. About how fast he was, and how serious and stubborn he could be. It made her think more and more about everything Nia had told her about the engines. She thought about Gordon and James' speed, Thomas and Percy being really useful, Emily competing in the Best Decorated Engine Parade and so on. She still thought they were the best engines she had ever heard of.

As she stopped at Kellsthorpe Road Station, she felt so strongly about how wonderful these engines were, all she ever focused on was being the fastest and best, like Gordon and the others.

"All the other engines are so fast and strong, and compete in competitions," Rebecca said to herself. "I hope I won't be known as a slow coach. I know. I'll leave straight away, so I won't be late."

But Rebecca failed to notice that leaving straight away caused a lot of confusion…but not delay. Several passengers got left behind and called after her, but she took no notice. She was already far down the line, going as fast as she could, making sure she didn't miss any signals or stations. And so, she kept working hastily, and arriving early everywhere, too focused on wanting to be fast and on time to notice any complaining passengers.

Then when she reached Maron Station, the stationmaster had another job for her.

"Rebecca," he said. "There is a cruise ship arriving at Brendam Docks. As Gordon is still busy with his part of the express, I need you to pick up those passengers and bring them to Vicarstown."

"Oh! Of course, sir! Right away!" And Rebecca was off in a flash again.

Rebecca was so early to pick up passengers from the cruise ship, that she was in the way again.

"Excuse me!" called Porter.

"Whoops, sorry," said Rebecca as she tried to move away, only to get into Salty's way.

"Coming through, me hearty!" he called.

"Oops, sorry. My name's Rebecca, by the way." But as she began to make her way out, she suddenly bumped right into Diesel.

"Watch out, 'Rebecca-By-The-Way'! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" he laughed.

"Whoops, sorry," said Rebecca. "I don't know what to call you."

"I'm Diesel, I think you'll find!"

After being called a name by Diesel for the first time, Rebecca wasn't afraid to stand up to other engines.

"Sorry…Diesel-I-Think-You'll-Find'. I'll be out of your way just as quick as I can."

Diesel was surprised by Rebecca's confidence, but couldn't help but laugh as he carried on.

Rebecca made her way out of the docks, then back to the Main Line.

"Right, now!" she panted. "These passengers must get to Vicarstown as soon as possible! Back to Vicarstown then! I can't let Gordon think I'm not really useful!"

And she set off again as fast as she could. By now, all the little mistakes and being in the way had made her very nervous and she began to feel a little afraid. And when she finally reached Vicarstown, she could see Gordon was already there, making her think that she had run very late.

"Sorry I'm late," she gasped as she stopped at the platform.

Gordon was not very keen with the situation, or the mistake Rebecca made. "You're not late, Rebecca. You're early. Again!"

Then the Fat Controller came onto the platform. "Gordon's right! You've been getting everywhere too early! You have caused confusion and del- oh…uh…confusion and…Um…well…eh…a great deal of confusion!"

And indeed, that was the situation for once. Rebecca had managed to avoid delay, but by arriving everywhere too early, she did indeed cause a lot of confusion.

"Yes sir. Sorry sir," she sighed sadly.

"I can't run a railway if engines don't follow the timetable. Otherwise, passengers miss their trains," said the Fat Controller.

"I didn't realize how early I've been sir," Rebecca explained. "And from what I've heard, all the engines on your railway are so fast and so strong and…well…I didn't want to be known as a slowcoach."

The Fat Controller understood how Rebecca felt and was all-too ready to help her. "It's not a race, or a contest. You just need to keep to the timetable."

"Yes sir. Thank you sir."

"You'll soon get the hang of it, Rebecca," he said, managing to chuckle as he left the platform.

But then, Flying Scotsman came by to tease Gordon again. Rebecca saw him and listened.

"Hello, little brother! And hello again…new engine," he said impressively.

Rebecca could see right through Flying Scotsman, and since she had seen how Gordon felt with the brother banter, she decided to speak up for the engine she had been told to help. What she said next took both Flying Scotsman and Gordon by complete surprise.

"My name's Rebecca. And I don't know why you keep calling Gordon little brother. You look the same size to me. If anything, I think Gordon looks bigger."

"Huh?"

Flying Scotsman was most surprised to hear how calm and collected Rebecca was, and that she seemed to favour Gordon more. Gordon was also very surprised. He never thought Rebecca would stand up for him, and succeed in putting the Flying Scotsman of all engines at the loss for words. It was a complete surprise and even a gift to have a new engine on Sodor be so thoughtful to her new friends.

"See you later, Gordon!" Rebecca called as she left the platform. It was then that Gordon suddenly felt a new appreciation for the new engine.

"Oh! Uh, Rebecca, wait for me!" he called, leaving Flying Scotsman speechless. Gordon came up alongside Rebecca. "I'm going your way too."

"Oh. Well let's go together," Rebecca smiled dearly.

And they set off down the line together. Once they were out of Vicarstown, they began to speak again.

"Rebecca…" said Gordon. "Thank you! No one has ever spoken up for me with my brother around!"

"Oh, no?" asked Rebecca.

"No. No one ever did," said Gordon. "But…why would you do that just for me? I almost don't deserve it."

"Why not?" Rebecca gaped.

"Well, I haven't been very welcoming to you since you came here," said Gordon. "I didn't think you could do the job of pulling the express, and yet you still helped me out."

"Well, Gordon, I was thinking about what I heard between the two of you earlier today," said Rebecca. "It seems that he rather enjoys teasing you…but I wouldn't want you to be stuck with that thought for too long. And all I want is to be friends with you, as well as the rest of the engines."

"You know, Rebecca?" said Gordon. "When I felt badly about Edward and Henry leaving the sheds, Nia wished the same for me. So…I'd like to tell you what she told me."

"What's that Gordon?"

"I'm happy to be friends, if you are."

Rebecca gasped and whistled happily. "Oh, Gordon! I'd be more than happy to be friends with you! And…perhaps, do you think you could help me with the express? I…I'd really like to know how to do it well, and cause no confusion at all."

Gordon smiled. "Of course, Rebecca," said Gordon. "After what you did for me at Vicarstown, I would be glad to have you as a helper for the express. It may take a little time, but as the Fat Controller said, you'll soon get the hang of it."

"Especially when I'll be having a friend like you to help me!" Rebecca giggled.

That night, Gordon and Rebecca made their way back to Tidmouth Sheds, where all the engines were waiting. Rebecca backed into her berth first, then Gordon followed.

"Hello, Gordon. Hello, Rebecca," said Thomas. "How did you manage the express today?"

"Hello to all of you," said Rebecca. "I must say, it has been a rather interesting day."

"And we'd like to tell you all about it," said Gordon.

So Rebecca and Gordon took turns telling the other engines what had happened that day. Rebecca told the other engines all about how she thought they were the best engines ever, and how she wanted to fit in and work very hard…but then it turned out that by trying so hard to fit in, she had caused plenty of confusion by arriving too early, and accidentally getting in the way of other engines. Then Gordon told them about how Rebecca recalled Flying Scotsman teasing him and how she stepped in and helped him and left the Flying Scotsman speechless. All the engines were most surprised by this story.

"Wow, Rebecca!" Percy smiled. "That sounds like a lovely day in the end. You certainly made a fast friend out of Gordon!"

"You don't need to always try so hard to be the best, Rebecca," said Thomas. "You just need to be responsible, reliable and really useful."

"That's right, Rebecca," said Emily. "If you just do everything right and follow the timetable as the Fat Controller told you to do, you will be really useful indeed, like the rest of us."

"And like you told me, Nia," added Gordon. "I told Rebecca that I'm happy to be friends if she is."

"And I am most happy to be friends with Gordon here," said Rebecca. "I think we would do very well pulling the express together."

"Hmm. I wonder what that could mean for both of you," Thomas said teasingly.

"Don't be silly, Thomas. Our friendship is highly professional!" insisted Gordon. "Besides, she's still very new here. I have a few things I can help her with. I am very glad to have her as my helper with the express during busy times."

"That's right, Thomas. I'm very happy to have Gordon helping me until I can manage the express as well as he does. Goodnight, everyone."

Then Rebecca sighed happily and fell asleep, followed by the other engines. And so, with a little confusion, but no delay, it seemed that the new Steam Team got along well enough. Rebecca was indeed a lovely addition to Tidmouth Sheds. She was bright, cheerful, very friendly and loved seeing the best in all her friends. She had a few things to learn about being on time and not feeling so pressured to be the best, but in time, she would be doing just as well as everyone else, with Gordon there to help her. It was indeed a fine change to the Railway. Edward and Henry had moved out of Tidmouth Sheds, but they were still part of the railway, seeing their friends as usual, and Nia and Rebecca were most welcome to the Steam Team too. Things were beginning to settle down once again. Gordon no longer felt suspicious or overwhelmed by the changes he had seen. He knew Edward and Henry would always be on the same railway, and he really looked forward to having Rebecca as a new friend, as did the rest of the Steam Team. It was a brand new Steam Team with new chances and opportunities that would prove to be really useful indeed.

* * *

I love this episode so much, and I love Rebecca, so happy to finally have her in my stories. As many of you already know, I do intend on making Gordon and Rebecca my next couple, but it won't be happening for awhile, and I still don't know how it will play out. Don't expect anything major between them for a few months, there might be some things with them, but we'll see. Anyway, tell us what you thought of this chapter, and we'll see you all with the next story.


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